The Steelers at the Chiefs: Open Thread

Who could have guessed that the Kansas City Chiefs would be 5-and-0 right now? Not I. While I had the Chiefs going 12-and-4 this year I thought the front half of their schedule looked like it was the more difficult half and that the normally slow starting Chiefs would continue that trend. Now, instead of looking at the schedule and projecting any of their opponents as incredibly-tough-outs… I’m sure those teams are now looking at K.C. and thinking, “Oh, God, we’re probably not going to win that game!”

Some like to call this game, or that game, a “Trap Game.” I think the Chiefs are beyond that now. They are the lead dog that every other team is gunning for now (since October 18, 2015, the Chiefs are 27-4 in regular season games, an .871 winning percentage). So, if other teams beat the Chiefs, they’ll think they’ve really accomplished something. Does that sound like a trap game for the Chiefs? I think trap games are for teams on the rise. If you haven’t looked lately, the Chiefs are at the top of the NFL. This team is so talented and deep that I believe it’s more focused on maintaining a level of play that continues to produce victories. Next-man-up, isn’t just a statement of functionality or a coach parroting what they’ve been told to say… but a it’s way the team now shows it’s strength and flexes it’s collective muscle. That kind of confidence blossoms because of the substituting of so many different key players, and at the same time continuing to stack victory, upon victory, upon victory.

However, the Pittsburgh Steelers have to be feeling a bit confident in every aspect of preparation to travel to K.C. and play the Chiefs in Arrowhead. Why? Because they did it as recently as January and owned the Chiefs. The Steelers OC Todd Haley — and former Chiefs head coach — will surely never forget the way things went down here and will be motivated to beat the team that fired him. He knows how to play in Arrowhead and there will be no halfhearted effort on his part. The Steelers will be coming to K.C. to win and in their minds there’s no reason they can’t. After all, the 43-14 trouncing of the Chiefs they enjoyed last October gives them a blueprint… emotionally… but not necessarily mentally.

So much has changed in one year for the Chiefs. Yes, the team made few changes to the roster, especially the starting line-up from 2016 to 2017. In fact, no Jeremy Maclin on offense, and on defense, Bennie Logan for Dontari Poe were presumably the only changes to the starting line-up. However, these are not your 2016 Chiefs… no way about it.

• QB Alex Smith is on a tear. For whatever reason, he’s playing so well, he’s on several lists as a possible NFL MVP candidate.
• RB Kareem Hunt is probably the biggest change from last year when Spencer Ware was “the” clear #1 RB for the Chiefs prior to his injury. Hunt is playing so well that he could win Rookie of the Year and NFL MVP.
• Justin Houston has delivered a message to all OCs, QBs, and offenses across the league, “I’M BAAAACK!” I won’t be surprised to see Houston break the single season mark sometime in the next 3 years. This season he’s averaging more than one sack per game putting on pace to break that record. Justin is also ripping offenses apart in the all important 4th quarter when most of his sacks have come.
  
• WR/KR Tyreek Hill has the ability to make other teams mumble to themselves, “Wait. What? Where’d he go?” When I saw him at training camp last year, waiting for a punt return, 20 feet in front on me, he gave a set of 5-to-7 jab-steps to fake to the defender — who was frozen in his tracks — and I dropped my jaw and began to ask total strangers around me, “Did you see that?” I couldn’t believe the instantaneous velocity he could produce. It’s dumbfounding.
• TE Travis Kelce is even more the monster we all thought he was in 2016. Physically… and emotionally — hehe. That includes his game-3 demotion which resulted in 1-catch for 1-yard… his punishment game, I guess. Fans should not be surprised to see him with over 1,300 receiving yards this year. He’s already had 3 games, out of five, with 98 yards or more.

The team has changed in many other ways too. The return of Allen Bailey to the DL, the up-sizing of RNR’s thighs and performance, the OL make-over because of injury, with LG Bryan Witzmann stepping up, Zach Fulton admirably stepping in — for Center Mitch Morse — and newly acquired Cam Erving stepping in and playing pretty good for LDT at RG, plus the addition of ILB Reggie Ragland, the re-ascendance of CB Terrance Mitchell, and Safety Dirty Dan Sorenson filling in nicely for a man with an overwhelming presence, the one-and-only, Eric Berry. All of that, without mentioning the new kid on the block, kicker Harrison Butker (apparently here to stay for the injured Cairo Santos).

Head Coach Andy Reid now has the diversified offense he’s been dreaming of, and it’s working to perfection. The Steeler’s defense, which is currently 28th against the run and 1st against the pass… should get a healthy dose of Kareem Hunt, the NFL’s leading rusher. They’re likely going to see Reid’s run-to-pass approach until the passing lanes open up, and then the pass-to-run option should appear. You can also expect to see the long ball with success and when that happens, the underneath passes to Kelce and inside runs for Hunt should be there too (and vice-versa). The Chiefs have too many different ways to attack the Steelers defense for Pittsburgh to be very successful. Not only that but they haven’t exactly faced the cream of the QB crop this season — Browns, Vikings, Bears, and Jags — thus their #1 pass defense rating will comes under the hot scrutiny of the #1 arm in the league.

My prediction: Chiefs 31, Steelers 16

A couple of Notes: the Chiefs have Monday and Tuesday off then fly to Oakland on Wednesday… and their next game is this Thursday Night vs. the Raiders. Also, the Raiders host the Chargers today who will have rookie WR Mike Williams for the first time, who they selected with the 7th pick in this year’s draft. Today will also mark the return of Oakland QB Derek Carr.My prediction: Chargers 27, Raiders 24 (actually, this is my hope, not my prediction).

Okay what are your predictions?

If you are viewing this in Apple News and would like to join the Discussion, [GO HERE.](http://arrowheadone.com/steelers-chiefs-open-thread/#disqus_thread)